Stieber, Shields Named Ohio State Athletes of the Year

Junior Logan Stieber, the first Ohio State wrestler to win three NCAA championships, and sophomore Catherine Shields, the Big Ten's rower of the year, were named Ohio State Athletes of the Year by the university Tuesday.

Stieber is fresh off a 30–1 season, improving his overall record to 90–3 (.968), which is tops in program history. Three months ago, he won his third national title in impressive fashion, 10–1. He is the second Ohio State wrestler to win the school's Male Athlete of the Year award, joining current Buckeye assistant wrestling coach J Jaggers, who capture the honor in 2009.

Shields is a 2014 Pocock First Team All-American and was named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) First Team All-Central Region. She rowed the First Varsity Eight on Ohio State's first NCAA 1V8 title and was vital to the team's second-consecutive Big Ten and NCAA championships. Shields is the second rower in two years to win the Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year award, joining teammate Claire-Louise Bode, who captured the award in 2013.

Ohio State Athletes of the Year:

Year

Male

Sport

Female

Sport

1982

Art Schichter

Football

1983

Chris Perry

Golf

Cathy Kratzert

Golf

1984

John Frank

Football

Sarah Josephson

Synchronized Swimming

1985

Robert Playter

Gymnastics

Yvette Angel

Basketball

1986

Mike Lanese

Football

Tracey Hall

Basketball

1987

Butch Reynolds

Track & Field

Karen LaFace

Diving

1988

Chris Spielman

Football

Bridgette Tate

Track & Field

1989

Joe Greene

Track & Field

Nikita Lowry

Basketball

1990

Mike Rancanelli

Gymnastics

Susan Gottlieb

Swimming

1991

Jim Jackson

Basketball

Holly O'Leary

Volleyball

1992

Jim Jackson

Basketball

Leisa Wissler

Volleyball

1993

Chris Nelloms

Track & Field

Audrey Burcy

Basketball

1994

Chris Sanders

Track & Field

Katie Smith

Basketball

1995

Blaine Wilson

Gymnastics

Laura Davis1

Volleyball

1996

Eddie George2

Football

Katie Smith

Basketball

1997

Blaine Wilson2

Gymnastics

Amy Langhals

Golf

1998

Hugo Boisvert

Hockey

Vanessa Wouters

Volleyball

1999

Sconnie Penn

Basketball

Dominque Calloway

Track & Field

2000

Jamie Natalie

Gymnastics

Donica Merriman

Track & Field

2001

Jamie Natalie

Gymnastics

Donica Merriman

Track & Field

2002

Raj Bhavsar

Gymnastics

Anna Smith

Softball

2003

Craig Krenzel

Football

Stacey Gordon

Volleyball

2004

Dan Taylor

Track & Field

Allison Hanna

Golf

2005

Mike Nugent

Football

Stacey Gordon

Volleyball

2006

A.J. Hawk

Football

Jessica Davenport

Basketball

2007

Troy Smith

Football

Jessica Davenport1

Basketball

2008

Andras Horani

Fencing

Teresa Meyer

Pistol

2009

J Jaggers

Wrestling

Jantel Lavender

Basketball

2010

Evan Turner

Basketball

Sam Marder

Softball

2011

Steven Kehoe

Volleyball

Jantel Lavender

Basketball

2012

Zain Shaito

Fencing

Christina Manning1

Track & Field

2013

Blaz Rola

Tennis

Claire-Louise Bode

Rowing

2014

Logan Stieber

Wrestling

Catherine Shields

Rowing

1 Recipient of Big Ten Award as conference's female athlete of the year2 Recipient of the Big Ten Jesse Owens Award as the conference's male athlete of the year

Comments

Now the two must square off in a no-holds-barred cage match to determine our true champion. (Congratulations to them both!)

If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. ~ Bruce Lee

While I am not a wrestling fan, I am glad to see Stieber win this honor over some well known athletes from the two main revenue sports. His career at OSU has been nothing sort of remarkable. Congratulations and continued success on the mat during your final season at OSU. BuckeyeNation is proud

There seem to be a lot of people on the site complaining about soccer not being more popular, but what great athletes they are, etc.

Meanwhile, no one is in better shape, or gets less fan support, than wrestlers. Logan has a chance to go down as one of the all-time great athletes in OSU history, but I doubt many fans would recognize his name right now. I would think it's a safe bet more fans know who Torrance Gibson is than any OSU wrestler or soccer player.

It sucks, but that's the way it is. I love attending these smaller sporting events though. You basically get to sit where you want and the crowds can be a lot of fun.